Sophia Giang

All Publications

• Systematic Review of Trial Design and End Points in Lupus Nephritis KIDNEY INTERNATIONAL REPORTS Giang, S., Dall’Era, M. A., Jones, R. B., Lightstone, L., Andersen, J., Martins, E., Terres, J., Turchetta, A., Pendergraft III, W. F., Malvar, A. 2026; 11 (5)

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.ekir.2026.106479

  View details for Web of Science ID 001740342500001

• Suicide in Patients Treated With Dialysis: Risk Factors and Trends in the US. American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation Giang, S., Lin, F., McCulloch, C. E., Brakeman, P., Hoffmann, T. J., Ku, E. 2025

  View details for DOI 10.1053/j.ajkd.2024.12.013

  View details for PubMedID 40043898

• Pediatric Nephrology Workforce and Access of Children with Kidney Failure to Transplantation in the United States JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY Rojas, G., Mcculloch, C. E., Copeland, T. P., Whelan, A. M., Bicki, A. C., Giang, S., Grimes, B. A., Ku, E. 2024

  View details for DOI 10.1681/ASN.0000000586

  View details for Web of Science ID 001387947000001

  View details for PubMedID 39641993

• Daratumumab therapy in a pediatric case of C3 nephritic factor-positive proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal IgG deposits CEN CASE REPORTS Giang, S., Agrawal, A. K., Oates, A. 2024; 13 (6): 429-433

  Abstract

  Proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal immunoglobulin deposits (PGNMID) is an exceedingly rare cause of glomerulonephritis among children for which prognosis is generally poor, with low incidence of remission and high rates of recurrence after transplant. While there are more cases reported in the adult literature, substantial differences in pediatric vs. adult PGNMID render it essential that we further characterize pediatric cases to optimize management. We report the case of a 12-year-old male presenting initially with edema and hypertension who was subsequently diagnosed with IgG3/Kappa-dominant PGNMID. In the absence of any proven therapy and though without a detectable clone, he was empirically treated with daratumumab with positive effect to date. This is the first reported case of daratumumab monotherapy in pediatric PGNMID, as well as the first PGNMID case to detect presence of C3 nephritic factor.

  View details for DOI 10.1007/s13730-024-00868-0

  View details for Web of Science ID 001190208900001

  View details for PubMedID 38517598

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC11608180

• Kidney Outcomes and Preservation of Kidney Function With Obinutuzumab in Patients With Lupus Nephritis: A Post Hoc Analysis of the NOBILITY Trial ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATOLOGY Rovin, B. H., Furie, R. A., Ross Terres, J. A., Giang, S., Schindler, T., Turchetta, A., Garg, J. P., Pendergraft, W. F., Malvar, A. 2024; 76 (2): 247-254

  Abstract

  To determine whether adding obinutuzumab to standard-of-care lupus nephritis (LN) therapy could improve the likelihood of long-term preservation of kidney function and do so with less glucocorticoids.Post hoc analyses of the phase II NOBILITY trial were performed. Time to unfavorable kidney outcome (a composite of treatment failure, doubling of serum creatinine, or death), LN flare, first 30% and 40% declines in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from baseline, and chronic eGFR slope during the trial were compared between patients with active LN who were randomized to take obinutuzumab (n = 63) or placebo (n = 62) in combination with mycophenolate mofetil and glucocorticoids. The number of patients who achieved complete renal response (CRR) on 7.5 mg or less per day of prednisone was also determined.Obinutuzumab reduced the risk of developing the composite kidney outcome by 60%, LN flare by 57%, and first eGFR decline of 30% or 40% by 80% and 91%, respectively. Patients receiving obinutuzumab had a significantly slower decline in eGFR than patients receiving placebo, with an annualized eGFR slope advantage of 4.1 ml/min/1.73 m2 /year (95% confidence interval 0.14-8.08). Overall, 38% of patients receiving obinutuzumab compared with 16% of patients receiving placebo achieved CRR at week 76 while receiving 7.5 mg or less per day of prednisone (P < 0.01); at week 104, the difference did not achieve significance (38% vs 22%; P = 0.06).Post hoc analyses of NOBILITY demonstrated that compared with standard-of-care therapy, obinutuzumab treatment resulted in superior preservation of kidney function and prevention of LN flares. More patients achieved CRR at week 76 with less glucocorticoid use in the obinutuzumab group.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/art.42734

  View details for Web of Science ID 001103148600001

  View details for PubMedID 37947366

• Case-control study exploring the short-term association of bronchiolitis with high blood pressure and hypertension in hospitalized children CLINICAL HYPERTENSION Giang, S., Padovani, A. J., Butani, L. 2022; 28 (1): 29

  Abstract

  Unlike in adults, there are limited pediatric data exploring the association between acute respiratory illnesses and blood pressure abnormalities. The aim of our study was to explore the association of bronchiolitis, a common respiratory illness, with elevated blood pressure in hospitalized children.In this single center retrospective case-control study, we evaluated the association between bronchiolitis and elevated blood pressure and hypertension in hospitalized children, compared to a control group admitted with nonrespiratory conditions, using multivariate regression analyses. Standard published normative data on pediatric blood pressure were used to classify children in various blood pressure categories.A high prevalence of elevated blood pressure (16%) and hypertension (60%) was noted among children with bronchiolitis; this was not statistically different from the control group (18% for elevated blood pressure; 57% for hypertension; P-values, 0.71 and 0.53, respectively). On multivariate regression analyses, only length of stay was associated with hypertension. No patient with blood pressure abnormalities received antihypertensives nor were any nephrology consults documented.A high prevalence of blood pressure abnormalities, without documentation of their recognition, was noted in hospitalized children regardless of diagnosis, pointing to the need for more data on outcomes-driven significance of pediatric inpatient blood pressure measurements.

  View details for DOI 10.1186/s40885-022-00214-5

  View details for Web of Science ID 000862404600001

  View details for PubMedID 36180947

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC9525223

• Nanoparticles Engineered as Artificial Antigen-Presenting Cells Induce Human CD4<SUP>+</SUP> and CD8<SUP>+</SUP> Tregs That Are Functional in Humanized Mice FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY Giang, S., Horwitz, D. A., Bickerton, S., La Cava, A. 2021; 12: 628059

  Abstract

  Artificial antigen-presenting cells (aAPCs) are synthetic versions of naturally occurring antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that, similar to natural APCs, promote efficient T effector cell responses in vitro. This report describes a method to produce acellular tolerogenic aAPCs made of biodegradable poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) and encapsulating IL-2 and TGF-β for a paracrine release to T cells. We document that these aAPCs can induce both human CD4+ and CD8+ T cells to become FoxP3+ T regulatory cells (Tregs). The aAPC NP-expanded human Tregs are functional in vitro and can modulate systemic autoimmunity in vivo in humanized NSG mice. These findings establish a proof-of-concept to use PLGA NPs as aAPCs for the induction of human Tregs in vitro and in vivo, highlighting the immunotherapeutic potential of this targeted approach to repair IL-2 and/or TGF-β defects documented in certain autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus.

  View details for DOI 10.3389/fimmu.2021.628059

  View details for Web of Science ID 000659225100001

  View details for PubMedID 34122401

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC8189151

• A Diagnostic Quagmire: PFIC5 Presenting as a Rare Cause of Neonatal Cholestasis ACG CASE REPORTS JOURNAL Giang, S., Gordon, R., Haas, K. B. 2021; 8 (4): e00558

  Abstract

  Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis is a heterogeneous group of autosomal recessive disorders defined by defects in bile excretion and transport. We describe a 6-week-old boy from Micronesia presenting with failure to thrive and jaundice. His diagnostic workup was remarkable for direct hyperbilirubinemia, hepatitis, and hepatic ultrasound with possible portosystemic shunting. The presence of toxoplasma IgG initially raised concern for congenital toxoplasmosis. Ultimately, the absence of bile salt export pump staining on liver histology and subsequent genetic studies confirmed a diagnosis of progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 5, an exceedingly rare cause of neonatal cholestasis.

  View details for DOI 10.14309/crj.0000000000000558

  View details for Web of Science ID 000711685500009

  View details for PubMedID 33869650

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC8049156

• IRF1 and BATF: key drivers of type 1 regulatory T-cell differentiation CELLULAR & MOLECULAR IMMUNOLOGY Giang, S., La Cava, A. 2017; 14 (8): 652-654

  View details for DOI 10.1038/cmi.2017.38

  View details for Web of Science ID 000406949100004

  View details for PubMedID 28626238

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC5549609

• Adherence to Asthma Guidelines at a Tertiary Center Banka, L. P., Giang, S., Xi, C., Thobani, S. A., Scott, L. G., Li, M., Kwong, K. MOSBY-ELSEVIER. 2017: AB55

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jaci.2016.12.130

  View details for Web of Science ID 000401699800076

• Regulatory T Cells in SLE: Biology and Use in Treatment CURRENT RHEUMATOLOGY REPORTS Giang, S., La Cava, A. 2016; 18 (11): 67

  Abstract

  T regulatory cells (Tregs) represent a phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous group of lymphocytes that exert immunosuppressive activities on effector immune responses. Tregs play a key role in maintaining immune tolerance and homeostasis through diverse mechanisms which involve interactions with components of both the innate and adaptive immune systems. As in many autoimmune diseases, Tregs have been proposed to play a relevant role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease characterized by a progressive breakdown of tolerance to self-antigens and the presence of concomitant hyperactive immune responses. Here, we review how Tregs dysfunction in SLE has been manipulated experimentally and preclinically in the attempt to restore, at last in part, the immune disturbances in the disease.

  View details for DOI 10.1007/s11926-016-0616-6

  View details for Web of Science ID 000388836400002

  View details for PubMedID 27704250